He told chelseafc.com: “I’m really pleased with this season having not played as many games as I would have liked last year,’ says the 33-year-old. ‘I hit the ground running after coming in early for pre-season and worked hard.

“With the new manager there was a big incentive to come in and prove to him that I was still capable, which I did, and I’ve been playing well. Along with my own personal form, though, more importantly the team are playing well and sitting at the top of the league which is the main thing.”